So much average

Better Late Then Never

The acting in this movie is really good.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

"Last Life in the Universe" was a rather unique and different movie experience. And it was a great combination of Thai and Japanese movie styles. Although the storyline in the movie is barely there, the movie leaves you with a very lasting impression and also with things to think about.The story in "Last Life in the Universe" is about Kenji (played by Tadanobu Asano), a suicidal Japanese librarian in Thailand, who happens to meet Noi (played by Sinitta Boonyasak), a pot-smoking carefree Thai lady. The two sad existences end up becoming each others saviors. Taking refuge in Noi's dirty, beach-side home, Kenji starts to live again and emotions are brewing between the two strangers.Although throughout the movie, the story is jumpy and skittish, there is a red line through it all. However, the movie is not really story-driven as much as it is emotion-driven, and that is what makes the movie so unique. Despite being fairly slow moving, the movie did deliver good entertainment and leaves you with something to think about.And there was a great cameo appearance by Takashi Miike, renowned Japanese movie director, towards the end of the movie. Look for that one, because it was quite cool. The movie didn't have that big a cast list, but it still worked out quite well, because the two lead parts were really carrying the movie nicely and elegantly.There are some pretty interesting visuals throughout the movie, which helps to add to the unique feel the movie has."Last Life in the Universe" is a must watch movie if you enjoy Thai and/or Japanese cinema. Just bear in mind that it is not an action movie, nor is it an average movie that you'd other wise see from Thailand or Japan. "Last Life in the Universe" is something extraordinary and unique.

Kenji (Tadanobu Asano), a thirty-something year-old Japanese librarian living in Thailand, who doens't suffer from obsessive–compulsive disorder but he surely exaggerates about cleaning or packing. Anyway, has a complicated brother whose scams and irresponsible acts leave Kenji's house with two dead bodies in it, his brother's and the assassin's. For the record, there's a scene where we see Kenji spying on a girl in a uniform, Nid (Laila Boonyasak), who works on the bar where we previously watch Kinji's brother. Kenji's got to run. Having already tried to kill himself before, he heads to a bridge and while preparing to jump, as he looks back a running over takes place right behind him. Nid was the victim He immediately helps the injured young woman and ends up requesting shelter to the girl who'd been making company to Nid, her sister Noi (Sinitta Boonyasak). Nid didn't survive. The story is not confusing at all, told in this way. The problem is that this isn't told to you very clearly. And from this point, scenes come up where Nid and Noi alternate. Like the Asian cinema has been showing, the director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang explores both loneliness and love. Eventually, the notion of the love being explored diverges from the normal, now more related to family or friendship, but still, very inspiring and audacious. The biggest problem with this one, is that it gets incredibly boring at certain points, making it quite uncomfortable to make it until the end, 6/10

About one year ago I watched the first 40 minutes, I think, of this film and I liked but it was after midnight so I was tired and this film was a complete "knock out". But I always remembered the images of Tadanobu Asano's character in the first part of the film and I really have desires of watch the film so finally last week I have the chance to get the DVD and finally watch it.In the 30 minutes introduction of the story, we can see the behavior and some of the thoughts of Kenji (Tadanobu Asano), a Japanese man living and wanting to die in Bangkok, Thailand. He is extremely tidy and extremely clean, spending his time working in a library, reading and thinking in his suicide but the reasons of why he wants to be dead are not the common, like he says, like money problems or a failed relation. He has a strange and mysterious view to dead but suddenly he is witness of the dead of Nid (Laila Boonyasak), the little sister of Noi (Sinitta Boonyasak) and he enters in the life of Noi, having a strange but strong friendship with her.I really enjoyed and loved this strange film. I say strange because it actually begins after 30 minutes of introduction and because it has many bizarre scenes. The first part is full of the poetry that Kenji relates to dead and the thoughts of the lizard from Kenji's book feels like another thought of the same Kenji. Also in that part we can see the relation between Kenji and his brother Yukio (Yutaka Matsushige) who is a Yakuza that looks Kenji just as a crazy man. When he enters in the life of Noi everything is different because both are really different from each other, even in the feelings about losing a brother/sister. The end is strange because we can see that Kenji and Noi build a great friendship but also that Kenji is in danger because of the Yakuzas.Anyway, the cast is superb with an amazing performance of Tadanobu Asano. I have only watched him in a main role in other film, "Ichi the Killer", and this role is very different but both performances are amazing. The sisters Boonyasak are great and the support cast is very little but has the funny performance of the great Takashi Miike. It was so great to see Miike as a Yakuza and also the detail of the poster of "Ichi the Killer" with Kakihara is great.Conclusion: I love this film that was my introduction to the work of Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. I recommend this beautiful film to any fan of Jim Jarmusch because Pen-Ek Ratanaruang has all of his influence and because is just great.

First off, this is a very artistic film (any movie you watch that the credits are inter-spaced over the first 33 *minutes* you know is going to be different and experimental) and as great as the film is, its a human interest story and therefore it does progress slowlyKenji is a Japanese man living in Thailand Everything is his life is absolutely perfect down to the most minute details He has a job as a librarian and spends the rest of his time reading (in particular a Japanese child's fable, which is the basis for the English title of the movie) He is not happy and feels his life is utterly pointless. He is irritated by all the noise around him (everything from TV to phone to other people) and he often contemplates suicide (as to him it is a peaceful sleep where he wont be disturbed. His latest suicide attempt is foiled when his brother shows up (on the run from a Yakuza boss who's daughter he slept with) During a gun fight Kenji flees, and meets NoiNoi works as an adult entertainer who is planning to leave Thailand for Osaka. She has a boyfriend who has cheated many times on her (including with her own sister) Noi has a fight with her sister over the affair and Nid ends up being killed, which makes Noi feel responsible forKenji and Noi find an odd solace in each others time of need (he feels alone and she is scared of being alone) and they go out of Bangkok to the province where Noi lives